“Surveyors advocate for technical schools to train local artisans and save billions in foreign labor costs”
At a press briefing to mark the 40th anniversary of Diya, Fatimilehin & Co and unveil its new logo, surveyors made a compelling case for the establishment of technical schools to train local artisans. According to Gboyega Fatimilehin, the Founding Partner of the company, the dominance of foreign artisans in the building industry is due to the lack of proper training for local counterparts. This has resulted in importing about 1.5 million skilled laborers, who are not Nigerians, leading to a loss of about $4.5 billion annually.
To bridge this training gap, the government needs to establish training schools that would provide formal training to artisans. Lanre Olutimilehin, the Strategic Adviser of the company, suggests that while technical training is good, it should be made modular to reduce costs and certification processes should not be too rigid. This would improve the quality of services offered by artisans, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and increased profitability for their businesses.
In addition, holding the artisans to a minimum level of conduct by adhering to laid down codes of conduct would foster accountability. With this approach, each state can produce a skilled workforce for the construction industry, and the country can save billions in foreign labor costs. The company also launched a new logo, demonstrating its commitment to modernization and providing best-in-class, end-to-end strategies, and solutions.
